Stranger things have happened, I know
by elle-mae-xx
Summary: CO-WRITTEN WITH FAEMELODY Phillip ends up facing his Aunt at school with a baby in his arms, his mother's baby at that. When the baby is full term instead of premature as expected for the date in question, it soon becomes clear that Melissa wasn't being as truthful as she should have been. Will it bring Eddie and Rachel back together?


If there was one thing that could be said about Waterloo Road, it was that the place certainly didn't lack energy, Rachel thought ruefully as she dodged around the hoards of students flocking to their classes after lunch. If she were honest with herself, she usually attempted to avoid being out in the corridors when a bell rang- in fairness, the majority of the kids tended to shift out of the way when they saw her coming, but it was still a minor nightmare to navigate the crowds. This particular day, however, she had dawdled in the canteen in the vain hopes of avoiding Max bloody Tyler until the last possible minute, and had mistimed it slightly thanks to the clock on the wall being a few minutes slow.

Thankfully, however, the crowds were beginning to thin as teachers let their classes into the rooms and the shouts of lunchtime began to fall… well, not silent, not at Waterloo Road, but certainly quieter than they had been. Rachel rounded a corner, unenthusiastically thinking of the pile of paperwork sat waiting for her, when she came to a dead stop at the sight that greeted her.

For one, long moment, her brain couldn't quite catch up with her eyes.

"Phillip…" she began slowly, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear her sight, before deciding that what she was seeing was indeed the scene before her, "why do you have a baby?"

The boy looked slightly shell shocked, a blanketed bundle in his arms. Beside him, one of the new students- Ros? She questioned absently- had wide eyes and a jaw that was practically on the ground. When she spoke, Phillip looked up at her, his mouth gaping slightly, before he looked down at the baby and then back at her, before glancing down the corridor and then meeting her eyes once again. She stepped closer, forcing herself to maintain a calm expression. "Phil?"

"I… I…"

Rachel narrowed her eyes at him, a thought occurring to her. "Phillip, tell me you didn't get some girl pregnant."

"What?" he yelped. "No! Rach!"

"Then whose baby is that?"

"I… she… I…"

"Phillip!" she snapped, losing patience as the boy stammered.

"Mum's!" he blurted out.

That brought her up short, faltering for a moment as pain lanced through her at the thought of her pregnant sister, before logic overtook. "Your mother isn't due until November…"

"I know!" panic was evident in his voice, and a horrible thought occurred to Rachel. She quickly stepped forward, peeking at the bundle with her heart in her throat.

A perfect, fully grown baby stared back at her. Relief rushed through her, immediately followed by guilt for thinking her sister could do something so awful. Then, the guilt abruptly lessened when she realised the implications of exactly what she was looking at. "Oh boy…"

*flashback*

Phil sat in a spare classroom, wanting complete quiet for him and Ros while they studied. They could have gone to the library or the common-room, but neither seemed to be as quiet as they hoped and always offered a distraction of some form. They had asked Mr Clarkson for his room while he had his PPA in the staffroom, and he had agreed without question. Despite much begging from Phillip, Rachel has refused to divulge with what was going on with Tom and the new student who seemed to hate him. But it meant that the distraction gave Phillip and Ros somewhere quiet. This meant Phillip's only problem was having to dodge Ros' questions. She was new, but gratefully didn't want to know the gossip about his Aunt and their old Deputy - he thinks she's the only one! Instead, she wanted to know about him and his home life. However, it was getting more and more difficult to lie. Especially considering he hadn't seen his mother in almost 6 days, and he had yet to tell anyone. When she left, she said she wouldn't be long and not to worry. Since then, her texts had been short and sweet but gave him no cause for concern. She had done this many times before, but had not been heavily pregnant then. He debated telling Rachel, but one mention of his mum's name and his poor Aunt shut off. She still fought back tears when someone asked about Eddie, so he didn't think it was right. He had asked Eddie where his mum was, but he was none the wiser either. He promised to keep asking her however, wanting to know about the safety of his unborn child. Things had been frosty after Eddie admitted to Melissa that he would not be engaging in any conversation that didn't concern the baby, and it angered her no end. She expected the fairytale ending, wanted to finally get the man and the baby too. But that didn't happen, seeing as the man was in fact in love with her sister and wasn't giving that up any time soon.

"Did you do the English homework last night?" Ros questioned, and Phillip pulled it out from his bag. One positive about not having his mum there was an escape from her drama, and the chance to get his work done in peace. If she wasn't crying down Eddie's voicemail, she would usually be talking his ear off about unfair her life was.

"I did, actually how did you find question 4? I couldn't quite.."

"Oh Phillip, there you are." Phillip looked up at the door and saw his mother, hair falling from her messy bun and eyes red with obvious tiredness. However, that wasn't where his attention stayed. It focused on the blue blanket in her arms and the loud shriek that came from inside it.

"What is that?" Phillip questioned, knowing that his mother shouldn't be due for another 2 months. The sound of cries must be a positive thing, but he approached her to check on the health of the baby.

"This is your brother." She rolled her eyes, as if stating the most obvious fact. "And I need you to look after him for a bit." She transferred the baby over to her eldest son almost sloppily, and made a swift exit out of the door without further explanation.

"What do you mean? Come back, mum! Where are you going?" He called out for her, but his loud voice startled the baby and he began to scream. "Oh god, I'm sorry." He shook the baby, trying to pacify it despite having never held a baby before. Ros walked over with an attempt to help, but felt equally as clueless as the baby continued to scream. She looked at his scrunched up face and realised he couldn't be more than a day old.

"We need to find Miss Mason." Ros offered, and Phillip nodded in agreement. He tried to open the door but couldn't move with the baby, so Ros opened it and they both walked through the thankfully empty corridors until they found his Aunt, walking towards him with a look of utter shock of her face.

Phillip spilled the whole story while Rachel ushered him and Ros to her office, practically feeling the tension headache starting already. Her assistant did a double-take when she saw Phillip and the baby- before she could ask, Rachel cut in. "Could you ask Miss Campbell to come to my office as soon as possible, please?"

She received a nod, and motioned for the two kids to go into the office ahead of her. She followed them in, dismayed to see Max was already there. He'd been sat at the desk, but had risen, a clear question on his lips. "Not now, Max!" she spoke over the beginning of his sentence, striding to grab the phone and angrily jabbing in the number, not paying attention to the flash of anger and irritation that crossed the man's face.

The call ended suddenly, and Rachel sighed as she realised Mel had cancelled the call, took a deep breath and called the home number instead, not expecting an answer. It went to voicemail, and she managed to leave an almost civil message. "Melissa, it's me. Call me back!" She rubbed the back of neck, looked back around at Phillip, who was still holding the baby as if he was a bomb. The boy was apparently picking up on it, because he was beginning to squirm and whimper. "Relax Phil," she told him absently, redialling the mobile number. "If he thinks you're anxious he will be too. Pick up, Mel…" she mumbled, waiting as it rang and rang.

Eventually, it went to voicemail. "Melissa Ryan, answer your phone!" she snapped, almost slamming the phone back in its' holder, but remembering at the last moment that there was an already unsettled baby in the room. "Phil, are you sure your mother didn't say anything else?" He shook his head. "Phil, love, how did you not realise your mother had given birth?" she questioned carefully. "You live with the woman!" The alarm and guilt on his face gave her a very bad feeling. "Phillip?"

"She… hasn't been home in a while," he admitted.

"And how long is a while?"

"A week…"

Rachel closed her eyes, and counted to ten. "Alright," she forced her tone to remain calm. "We'll deal with that in a bit. Our biggest problem right now is confirming the baby is actually hers."

"What?" Phillip looked alarmed. "Why wouldn't he be?"

"Because as far as anyone knew, she wasn't due to give birth yet. But that's definitely a full-term baby. Hi Kim," she greeted distractedly as the woman walked in, her jaw dropping when she took in the room.

"Um…"

"Phil, explain, would you?" Rachel requested, leaning over her desk to type in a search. There was, unfortunately, one other person she needed to call. Over the summer, she had been the one dealing with the admin that had come through, including the sole reference request for a certain deputy head. She found the number of the school, dialling it and finally remembering Max was still in the room. He was stood with his arms crossed, watching the proceedings with an almost bewildered look.

"Yes, hello. I need to speak to Eddie Lawson please, I believe he's your deputy headteacher." As she spoke, both Kim and Phillip's heads snapped around to look at her, eyes wide. She ignored them. "I… my name is Rachel, I'm with his son. It is quite important."

Hold music began to play. "Stop looking at me like that. Unless either of you have a better idea?"

Neither answered and she turned her attention back to the phone. Calm and collected, Rachel, she reminded herself. It's bad enough you're having to call him, no need to make him worried as well. There was a click as the call was transferred and then picked up, and for the first time in two months she heard the voice of her former deputy, slightly worried and panicked but otherwise exactly as she remembered.

"Rachel? Are you okay?" The fact that she was still his concern caused her stomach to flutter, and she had to force herself to remember why exactly she was phoning. Luckily, the whimpers in the office from a certain baby didn't let her forget for long.

"Eddie, I'm.. fine. I need you to come here though. Phillip, the baby. I'm not sure, Melissa left her son here." His voice had reduced her to a babbling mess, and she cursed herself for how flustered she sounded. She avoided eye contact from Kim and Phillip, who were sharing their own look as Rachel failed to form a coherent sentence.

"Rach, slow down for me. Take a deep breath, you're making no sense." He soothed, his own heart beating through his chest as she had finally called him. He was finally able to hear her voice after a heartbreakingly long summer and no matter the circumstances, he was truly grateful for it. His words calmed her and she was finally able to get a grip on reality, clearing her throat and shaking her head to start their conversation again.

"Melissa came to school and literally handed a baby to Phil and left. We need you to come here and get him."

The line suddenly went dead, and Rachel would have worried that Eddie hung up if she didn't know him so well. "But, he must be 2 months early? Is he okay?" He finally asked, not yet processing the information fully or being able to understand the situation.

"He's not early Eddie, he's fine. But, you need to come here. Poor Phil hasn't got a clue." Phillip scoffed at his Aunt's comments but knew she was right, so shrugged slightly in agreement. Eddie promised to make his way over and as Rachel put the phone down, she finally felt the weight of what was about to happen wash over her. She was about to see him after weeks of being apart, after weeks of trying to forget about him and claw back any inch of happiness she could get without him in her life.

"Eddie's on his way." Rachel confirmed, avoiding Kim's eye contact as she busied herself with tidying her desk as if Eddie would renter the office and inspect her paper piles. Max finally got bored and left them alone so Kim made herself busy by making mugs of tea, with Ros making small talk with Phillip and leaving Rachel to it. She has absolutely no idea what their situation was or what had gone on, but she had never seen her head teacher look so anxious than she did now.

"Rach?" Phillip grabbed her attention by calling her name, and Rachel finally looked up and took a breath as the time ticked on. "I'm sorry but I really need the toilet. It may be difficult with.. you know." He gestured to the now sleeping baby and Rachel's eyes widened. Surely he wasn't suggesting?

She looked to Kim for help, but the woman suddenly found her information display board very interesting and busied herself with reading it. Rolling her eyes, she stood up at the same time as Phil and helped him pass the baby over to her, settling him in her arms and letting out calming sounds to make him feel safe. She couldn't deny how cute he looked, and tried to trace his face for any of Eddie's features. Phillip scuttled off out her office and Rachel focused on rocking on her feet, determined for the baby not to be crying in her presence. She moved around her office and looked out of the window, aching to be out on the playground and away from this situation, wanting nothing less than to be stood holding the child of the man she had loved more than anything and her sister of all people.

"Rachel?" She recognized his voice and couldn't bring herself to turn just yet, needing to take deep breaths in order to gather the courage to finally face him.

"Ros, come with me," Kim shepherded the girl from the room, flashing a small smile at the man who barely seemed to notice anything but the woman by the window. Rachel turned only as she closed to door, unable to paint a smile on but managing to keep her voice steady.

"Hi Eddie."

"Rachel…" his eyes met hers, and he almost flinched when he saw how guarded she looked. How she looked as she had right when he had first met her, before she let him in. And then, inevitably, his gaze flicked down to the baby she held in her arms.

Inwardly, Rachel broke a little more. This was something she had desperately hoped she would never have to see, and she had never been angrier at her sister than she was in that moment, for putting her in the position. What she didn't realise, however, was that half the reason Eddie was so transfixed was the image of her holding the baby. He was frozen, unable to take his eyes from the pair.

"You should take him," she said softly, swallowing down the lump in her throat. And although he stepped closer, moving to see the tiny face peeking out from the blankets, he made no move to actually take him from her.

"I don't understand," he admitted. "She was due in November. How…?"

"I don't know. Phillip doesn't either. First he knew about it was when Mel showed up an hour ago." She kept her tone business-like, years of practise at hiding her feelings coming in useful as she concentrated on a job she knew very well- cleaning up after her little sister.

Eddie reached out, and her emotions swirled as the reality of relinquishing the baby was suddenly in front of her. Only, he didn't take him. Instead, he pulled the blankets away, revealing the plain white onesie underneath, and simply looked. Rachel quirked an eyebrow. "Eddie?" she prompted.

But he was shaking his head slightly. In her arms, the sudden loss of warmth had the baby squirming, his face scrunching as his arms lifted up, fists clenched. Without thinking, she began to sway gently, tucking the blankets back around him with a frown. "Are you going to hold him? He is your son."

"No, he isn't."

And Rachel froze. "What?"

Eddie stepped backwards, face drained of colour. "He isn't mine."

"What are you talking about? Of course he is…"

"He was due in November."

She looked at him quizzically, and with no small amount of impatience. "Yes, but it's less than, what? Six, seven weeks difference. You and Melissa were together long before that."

But he was shaking his head. "No, Rach, you don't understand. He can't be mine. It doesn't work."

She bit back her sharp retort, wondering how it was possible that a man with multiple children didn't understand how pregnancy worked. "It isn't a precise estimation, Eddie- they don't calculate gestation from-,"

"I know how it works, Rachel!" he snapped. "Listen to me! That baby is full term. Meaning he was conceived in December."

"Yes! By which time you'd been living together for weeks!" she reminded him in a hiss, mindful that she really didn't want a crying baby on her hands.

"But we didn't, Mel and I, we never…" he waved his hands, glaring meaningfully.

"You never what?"

He faltered, unwilling to say it outright. "It wouldn't have been possible for us to make a baby that month," he settled on eventually. "Between this place, and Michael, Allison and Christmas and New Year… it, we didn't… it's not possible, okay? Because we had an argument about it, and I remember vividly."

She paused, pushing away the immediate 'yuck' factor of knowing that about her sister. She looked down at the baby, then back at him. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am! Rach… that baby isn't mine."

And as if it had suddenly hit home, he stumbled backwards, sitting on the sofa with a bump as a stunned expression settled over him.

Rachel watched him fall to sit down and the realization of the situation hit her like a tone of bricks. Poor Eddie, he'd lost another child in the most cruel of circumstances. She ached to reach out for him and offer some comfort, but her hands were occupied. Instead, she moved to sit next to him and freed one hand when the baby was settled comfortably in one arm. She placed her now free hand on his shoulder, wanting to reassure him the best she could.

"I'm so sorry." She commented truthfully, hoping he would hear the sincerity in her voice. Luckily, he did and turned his head to face her. He kept his eyes trained solely on her, not yet daring to look down at the baby but instead choosing to focus on the face he knew could bring him out of any darkness.

"Don't apologize Rachel, I should be the one saying sorry!" He admitted truthfully, guilt eating away at him for the pain that had been caused for no reason whatsoever. Melissa sure had a lot to answer to.

"Oh Eddie, why do you think that?" She asked softly, moving her head slightly so they could look at each other better. Being this close to him send shivers down her spine, and the more he talked, the more she was forgetting every promise she'd made to herself to stay strong.

"I should have known, she didn't let me go to any scans or classes. Oh god, Rachel I've lost you for nothing! I've lost the love of my life and now my baby." His head fell into his hands as the weight of the situation finally dawned on him, and Rachel froze on the spot in shock. Hearing him refer to her as the love of his life sent shockwaves around her system, and she once again found herself cursing Melissa for everything she had done to the couple.

"Eddie, I'm right here." She added softly, her tone laced with promises that made Eddie lift his head slightly. "But we need to sort some things out first. This baby will probably need to be checked by doctors, god knows what Melissa did before she came here. We need to call the police to actually find her, and he may not be yours but he's someone's. And Phillip.. oh god." Rachel remembered what Phillip had said about living on his own and she mentally kicked herself for being too focused on her own feelings to look at how her nephew had been suffering. "She left him a week ago, he's been on his own! Where did she go?" She thought out loud, and it was Eddie's turn to take control and calm Rachel down.

"Call the police, and ask for someone to come to look him over. They'll know more of what our next steps can be." He voice held no space for argument, and Rachel was eternally grateful for that.

"Our next steps?" Rachel asked gently, her heart pounding in her chest as their eyes locked. "Eddie, you don't have to be here. You need time."

"I need you Rach. And you need me, so I'm staying here until you ask me to leave. Are you asking?" Rachel shook her head quickly before he mistook her silence for a reply. She simply couldn't bring herself to speak without clearing the lump from her throat. She shook her head again to clear her thoughts and stood to make the call.

"I'll take him." Both heads whipped to the door, finding that Phillip had reappeared from wherever he'd been hiding since excusing himself.

"Phil!" Eddie practically jumped up to pull the boy into a hug, wanting him to know that he had missed him. Despite not seeing Melissa, he had kept in constant contact with Phil and had been genuinely concerned with how he'd been. So he'd been shocked to find out he'd been completely alone at home for the past week, and Eddie wanted him to know that neither him or Rachel would let that happen again.

Phil hugged him back gladly, if a little embarrassedly. "Mum's going to be in trouble, isn't she?" he asked in a resigned tone of voice, once he'd pulled back. Rachel bit her lip.

"Yeah," she admitted. "She went too far this time, Phil."

He nodded, accepting it surprisingly well. "What happens now?"

Rachel looked at him, and changed her mind slightly. "I'm going to call the hospital, explain what's happened. I suspect we'll be asked to take this little one in." she nodded towards the baby, still content in her arms. "After that… we'll have to see." She attempted to give him a reassuring smile. There were already ideas drifting through her head, but she had no intention of raising the boy's hopes when she knew nothing for certain.

She handed the baby over to Phil, who seemed happy to have him back as he sat on the sofa, joined by Ros who had re-entered with Kim, and who was much more willing to fuss over the baby now he wasn't quite so unexpected. While Rachel made the phone-call, Kim pulled Eddie to the side.

"You better not be getting involved if you're going to leave again!" she hissed.

"I'm not leaving," he said instantly. "I left before because Rachel wanted me to, because she couldn't cope with… I respected her decision, but that reason is no longer there. I'm not going anywhere."

Kim studied appraisingly, before giving a single nod. "She's been pretending she's okay, but she's not," she revealed quietly, eyes flicking towards the woman stood across the room. "The hours she works… if she's not here, she takes the work home with her. She doesn't really need a deputy; she does all the work herself. It's like she's thrown everything she has into running this place."

Before Eddie could reply, Rachel had finished her phone call and turned to face the room. "They want the baby at the hospital," she confirmed. "Phil, I assume you want to come?" The boy nodded vigorously, careful not to dislodge the baby. "Right- Kim, can you and Chris hold the fort here? Ros, go back to class and you may want to let your parents know what's been going on, just in case the police want to talk to you as well. Eddie…"

She trailed off, wondering exactly what to say to the man. But he finished for her. "I'll go to Melissa's place," he offered. "If nothing else, I can pack some things for Phil."

They both stared at him, Rachel in shock and Phillip in confusion. "What?" he questioned.

"You don't honestly think your aunt is going to let you live alone, do you?"

Phil looked at Rachel, who shrugged. "He has a point," she agreed. "But Eddie, are you sure?"

"If Melissa's there, I'll just get the chance to yell at her," he said dryly.

And so they left, Rachel calling a taxi to drive her and Phillip to the hospital for lack of a car seat, following the directions she'd been given around to the neonatal unit. The baby was immediately whisked away, much to Phillip's distress, but the nurse assured them it was only for a little while and while they sat waiting, Phil busied himself with sending Eddie a list of essentials while Rachel googled the laws on guardianship.

She was thrilled to discover that theoretically, she would be able to take both children home. Phillip was pretty much a given, thanks to his age. The baby was more complicated, but it wouldn't be impossible, she was pleased to note. Inwardly, a small piece of her was crushed that she was having to research this, that Melissa had fallen so far that the current situation was the result. And that same, tiny piece of her was sorely tempted to walk away, to let her sister deal with her own mess for once. The stronger, more logical part of her knew that she never could, especially not with Phillip around. Which meant, she supposed, she should probably look into exactly what was required to care for a newborn at home.

Eddie soon arrived and handed Phil a full bag, he gave Phil back his keys and finally sat down next to them.

"She wasn't in, she's taken loads of her own stuff though. I grabbed some of Phillip's things and the few things I could find for the baby, but she didn't have much." He confirmed, grateful to have not run into her. As much as he would have liked to have given her a piece of his mind, she was beyond anyone's control with how manipulative she was and he couldn't risk her doing something even more stupid than dropping her newborn son off at a secondary school.

"Ms Mason?" The doctor finally called Rachel's name before the concentration could progress and all three stood to hear what the doctor needed to say.

"The baby is in perfect health. We have records on our system of a baby with the same weight and date being born on our premises yesterday evening, so we are able to hopefully trace the mother through them." Rachel nodded along as felt relief when a midwife finally emerged with the freshly swaddled baby, and she retrieved him from her immediately. "It's now a matter for social services and the police, but as the mother's sister, we feel comfortable for you to care for the child on the hospital grounds until further decisions can be reached. When they arrive, arrangements can be made for both children at your wishes." They said their thanks and were directed to the waiting room, having been given a temporary bag of nappies and premade bottles that could be heated up at any convenient store on site.

"What a day." Rachel exclaimed as she sat down, rolling her neck from side to side to ease some of the pain that had formed there for feeling so tense. Eddie noticed and longed to reach out to help, to run his fingers over her skin and work at the knots like he used to when she was stressed. He clenched his fists instead, fighting with himself to keep his hands in his lap and look away from Rachel momentarily.

"Rach, where will we go?" The mention of police and social services had terrified Phil no end, and his mind ran away with all the different places he could be sent whilst his mum was being dealt with.

"With me, of course." Rachel added quickly, as if giving the most obvious answer in the world. "You are both family, and I will take care of you both for as long as they will let me." She promised, leaning over the table to take hold of Phillip's hand and give him a squeeze for reassurance.

"You're not on your own anymore mate, you never should have been." Eddie joined in, and his words made tears cloud Rachel's vision. "I'm sorry for so many things, but I want to make them right." His words were a promise to both of them, and Rachel looked at him to catch the sincerity behind his eyes. Eddie noticed the tears and used his thumb to swipe the water away, smiling at her softly. He had a lot of making up to do, a lot of catching up to do also. But it was possible, especially with how desperately he wanted to make sure they were cared for. His first step, however, was being able to distance himself from the baby in Rachel's arms. He needed to find it in his heart to realize the child wasn't his, and be able to support Rachel in her decision to look after her nephews. It wasn't any of their faults that they had ended up in this situation, least of all a defenseless child.

The two teams of social services and police arrived, whisking them away to a private room so they could discuss the situation and next steps. Police needed first to interview Phillip about what had happened, whilst social services remained fixed on confirming a safe environment for the children. Rachel was honest in having never cared for a baby, but promised to try her hardest for the sake of her nephew. However, Eddie added that they would need to find out the identity of the father.

"I'm sorry sir, is that not you? Ms Ryan gave your name after giving birth so we assumed?" The social worker question, and Eddie's face clouded over as he once again avoided looking at the baby.

"It can't be me. I thought it was, for a long time. But the dates don't add up, it's impossible. He's not mine, and I have no idea who's he could be." Rachel couldn't really reach out to him as he hands were occupied, but she moved her body closer to him as a form of reassurance. And Eddie gratefully accepted, offering her a warm smile and placing his arm around her on the back of her chair.

"Now that does complicate things. We will need a DNA test to just prove your suspicions to be true, and then we will ask Ms Ryan when she's found. Until then, Miss Mason are you happy to proceed with taking care of your nephews?"

"Absolutely."

"And you do understand that your sister… if you hear from her, you should encourage her to come to the police station."

Rachel felt her expression become rather fixed as another thought occurred to her. They would investigate Melissa, she knew, running checks on her. And would discover two marriages, but no divorces.

Oh dear. "Of course," she agreed mechanically, even as her mind raced. Right now, they were treating Melissa's disappearance as a mental issue, but she knew that once it became apparent she'd had the foresight to take clothes and personal items with her, it would become a hunt for a mother who had abandoned two children, one of which was a newborn. And even if they didn't prosecute Melissa for child abandonment, they would for bigamy. Her sister had signed her own arrest warrant, and probably didn't even realise it.

And she'd wager neither did Phillip, she thought worriedly. She took the paperwork offered by the social worker, tucking it into her bag one-handed.

"I'll be coming by to see you tomorrow, to check on how you're coping and on the suitability of your home," the social worker told her. "This… situation is unusual, to say the least."

Rachel nodded, breathing a sigh of relief as they were left alone. "Home situation. Damn it."

"What?" Eddie questioned.

"I'm not exactly set up for a baby," she answered distractedly.

"I can help…" he offered, but she shook her head slowly.

"I appreciate it, more than I can say, but I think you should go home, Eddie. Or at least go and hug Michael," she said gently. She saw the frown flash across his face, and stepped closer to wrap her hand around his wrist to ward off the upcoming argument. "Your whole world has been turned upside down in the past three hours," she reminded him softly. "And right now, you can't even bring yourself to look at this baby." He looked guilty, shuffling his feet. "Eddie, I don't blame you for that. Frankly, I'm impressed you've managed to be here. But you need to process everything that's happened, and you can't do that if you're around this little guy."

He nodded, conceding her point. Her eyes caught his, and for a moment they did nothing but look at each other. "Rachel…" he began, voice catching slightly, but she shook her head.

"This isn't the time," she whispered. "You need to process, and I have a frightened teenager and a newborn to look after."

He scrutinised her, dropping his arm and twisting his wrist to catch a hold of her fingers. He felt her jerk underneath him, eyes wary but she didn't pull away. "Are you trying to run, Rach?" he asked quietly. Her stomach summersaulted at the implication, even as irritation flashed through her and her eyes narrowed.

"Last time I did, you let me," she reminded him. "And then ran just as fast in the opposite direction."

He winced. "I came back…"

"Only after you and Melissa had split up." The words were out before she could stop them.

His eyes widened as he reared back slightly, mouth falling open. "Is that really what you think?"

She held a hand up, eyes closing for a brief moment. "This is why you need to go home. We need to have this conversation, but not now and certainly not here." She pointedly glanced at the whitewashed room they were in. "We can't just pick up where we left off, Eddie. And right now is not an appropriate time."

She turned away from him, shifting the bundle in her arms so that his weight was more evenly spread. Eddie didn't move for a long moment. "I'll call you tomorrow," he said quietly, his tone brokering no discussion. "And I'll go home on the understanding that if you need me, you call. No matter what."

He put particular emphasis on the final phrase, before he bade goodbye to Phillip and slipped from the room. The teenager was pink-cheeked and wide eyed, but said nothing as Rachel fumbled for her mobile and quickly dialled a number. "Kim? It's me- I need a favour. The kids are staying with me- at least for now- but I have nothing for the baby, apart from a few onesies and vests Melissa left at home. Can you run to the shops for me?"

The woman readily agreed, much to her relief, and she hung up the phone, looking at Phillip with a tired smile. "Let's go home."

The word home was not one that Phillip usually used to associate with himself before. His entire life, he never had a home. He never had a place to feel safe and truly be the child he was. Moved from pillar to post, each time he got settled and started to like somewhere, his mother would end her relationship and want to move. It wasn't until she left him with Rachel that he truly understood the meaning of the word. Being in a house with rules, with boundaries and bedtimes sounded like a nightmare for a typical teenage boy. But it was something that Phillip had longed for his whole life, and the short relief he got when living with Rachel was something he couldn't wait to get back. He truly felt cared for, like she wanted him to do well and be healthy and happy. She always made sure his homework was done, asked about his day and sat at the table for meals so she could quiz him more about his life. He loved it really, any opportunity to spend more time with her and do all of the things he had missed out on was greatly appreciated.

"Yeah, let's go home." Phillip answered, and took the baby from Rachel so they could start the process of getting back. Kim was meeting them at Rachel's with essentials, and Rachel hoped one of them included a car seat as she didn't feel safe constantly taking a newborn in her arms in a taxi. "Are we going to name him? I don't really want to keep calling him, him?" Phillip asked, grateful that his brother was a calm baby and had slept through most of the day from being passed from person to person. Even when being fed, he took his bottle sleepily and dozed straight back off afterwards.

Rachel considered Phillip's words for a moment and supposed he was right, but she had her doubts for certain. "I don't know Phil, he probably won't be staying with us and I don't want you to get attached, you know? If his dad comes along and wants to take him, I don't see anyone saying no if he's able." She worried about Phil being used to living with her and the baby, and having that taken away from him. He wanted the fairytale ending, the happiness he had waited his whole life for. And she'd be damned if she was the one getting his hopes up about it.

"I know that Rach, but he's still my brother. And he always will be, no matter where he's living. I'd quite like to know he has a name, because god knows the people mum has been with and what he could else up being called." Rachel laughed and looked back when they were finally at the entrance, but Phillip had stopped. "I think we need to make a pit stop, he stinks!" Rachel's eyes widened, she had never changed a nappy before! And she started to regret how quick she was to send Eddie home.

"Well, it's a good job he's got a big brother to look after him then. Baby changing is there." She teased and pointed them in the direction of the nearest facilities, taking the baby off him when she saw Phillip's mortified face.

"I've got it," she laughed lightly, handing him her bag instead. "Hold this- I'll be back in a minute."

She lay the baby on the changing table, noting that he was starting to fuss and screw his face up. She guessed that any moment soon, he was going to begin to express his displeasure much more vocally. "Hang on, little one," she murmured, quickly grabbing a clean nappy. She paused, however when she realised she didn't have any wipes or cotton wool. "Alright- this isn't going to be all that comfortable," she told him, grabbing a wad of tissue. "But it's only this once. So no screaming, okay?"

He was growing louder by the minute, wriggling around. "Do you think your brother's right?" she asked him, nimbly undoing his onesie and vest. "Should we give you a name? I suppose we can't keep calling you the baby forever. And I think it's a little late to worry about getting attached."

She smiled slightly, peering over at his face. He had one hand covering his eyes, and she had to admit it was cute. "Then again, I don't think your mum is going to be a problem," she murmured. "And if they can't find your dad…"

She cut herself off, shaking her head slightly as she worked. "You're getting ahead of yourself, Rachel," she mumbled, dropping the dirty nappy in the bin. "One thing at a time."

He let out a whine, finally losing patience. "Sorry, I know it's cold. How does this do up?" she tugged at the onesie, baffled at the apparent excess of poppers which didn't seem to form anything baby-shaped.

Three attempts later, she'd finally managed to do them up correctly. She wrapped him up in the blankets, carefully picking him up to hold him close. Almost instantly he settled, one hand breaking free to rest near his face as he cooed softly, eyes fluttering closed. Rachel stared down at him, affection swirling within her even as a sliver of apprehension ran down her spine. "Oh, I'm in trouble…" she breathed. Despite what she'd said to Phillip, she already cared about this baby, and she had the feeling that wasn't going to go away. If she did have to hand him over, it wasn't going to be nearly as easy as she'd hoped.

They arrived home to a dark house, Phillip laden down with the bags Eddie had packed for him and Rachel juggling the baby in one arm and her own things in the other. It was only once she'd gone through the house, turning lights on as she went that she paused, and realised that she had nowhere suitable to even put the baby for a moment. She sighed, and instead of the quick pasta dish she'd been planning, grabbed the takeaway menus. "Phillip!" she called up the stairs, as hushed as possible to avoid waking the child in her arms. It wasn't long before she heard the thuds of him running down the stairs, and nodded towards the menus when he appeared in the kitchen. "Choose which you fancy," she told him.

He grabbed the Chinese menu. "I'll order," he offered.

"Thanks. And Phil?" she called after him as he went to get the phone. He looked at her enquiringly. "I thought about what you said… and I think you're right. About naming him. He should have a name, as long as you understand it might not remain his name." she looked at him pointedly, and he nodded vigorously. "Well, then let me know what you decide."

His jaw dropped. "Wait, you want me to name him?"

"Well, he is your brother. I reserve the right to say no, though," she added hastily, remembering that he was a sixteen year old boy and common sense wasn't always a given. Phil bit his lip. "What?"

"You'll think it's silly…"

She tilted her head, coming closer to look him in the eyes. "I promise I won't."

"I just… there was this book, when I was a kid. It was my favourite, and whenever mum was off on one, I'd read it under the covers and… well, I think it's a good name to have." He shrugged awkwardly. Rachel was careful not to let him see how much his confession cut into her.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful legacy for this little one to have," she told him sincerely. "What's the book?"

Phillip considered even telling his Aunt, debated leaving out the idea altogether and asking Rachel to choose. But his idea held plenty of happy memories for him, so he considered it to be fitting. "It was Harry Potter, so I was thinking Harry? I know he's got no scar or magical powers but.." Phillip trailed off with fear of sounding silly, not wanting to divulged details of how he had wished it had been his name. He had longed to have a saviour like Hagrid turn up to whisk him away, to take him to a magical place like Hogwarts where his worries mattered no more.

"Harry. Phillip and Harry. I quite like it, it has a ring to it." Rachel agreed, having liked the name herself for a while. She wanted it to be entirely Phillip's decision, wanting to take some of the pressure away from herself as she felt excitement at finally getting the chance to name a baby. But she had to remember as much as she wanted it, Harry was only her nephew and their living situation could change at any moment.

Phillip was glad his aunt agreed, and went away to order their food so he wouldn't disturb the baby. As soon as he'd left, the doorbell rang and startled Harry from his happy napping space in Rachel's arms. She cursed inwardly before walking to open the door, immediately grateful to see Kim laden with bags and cardboard boxes.

"Some of it was Grace's, so it may be too girlie. But I tried my best, I don't think Mothercare has much left." She dumped two bags inside the door and went to retrieve two more, before lugging in 2 large cardboard boxes that were almost as tall as her.

"Kim, what on earth? I said the essentials." Rachel puffed out her cheeks in exasperation, wondering where on all this was possibly going to fit inside her home with Phillip there too.

"Rach, these are essential." Kim rolled her eyes, wondering how the headteacher of a school had come to be so clueless about children under the age of 11. "There's clothes, nappies, bottles, sterilisers, bibs, wipes and a changing bag to take away. I got a Moses basket and a pram, with a car seat included. I can help you install it in your car if you like?" Kim finally stopped for a breath to take a look at Rachel's face, and noticed her friend looking completely flustered and overwhelmed. "Oh, and this is for us." She finally pulled a bottle of red wine out from her handbag, and Rachel finally perked up at the sight.

"That. That's where we begin, I'll get the glasses." Wine, she could deal with. She was an expert on wine and drinking it, everything else that Kim had bought would need to be talked over. What on earth was a steriliser and why had Kim bought the baby a basket?

Sat around the living room, Kim decided to start with the simple items whilst Rachel filled up the glasses with one hand. Phil had popped his head in to say hello, before seeing the baby stuff and making himself scarper. He quickly excused himself with the excuse of needing to unpack, and Rachel longed to follow him.

"Why don't I find the car seat? Then you can place the baby down and give your arms a rest." Rachel agreed wholeheartedly, her arms needing a break from the constant weight in them. Kim found the box and luckily it came assembled, so took the baby from Rachel carefully and lay him down.

"He's a cutie, aren't you little no-name?" She commented as she played with his tiny feet, Harry completely obvious as he dreamt away despite the change in surroundings.

"We named him actually, Phillip chose he. He wanted to call his brother Harry. And I think it suits him much more no-name." Rachel laughed, but Kim narrowed her eyes in concern.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kim had dealt with Rachel's heartbreak before, when Eddie had left her and she had made it her mission to pay her a visit once a week to check on her mental state.

"He's always going to be Phil's brother, whether he's here or not. It was only fair for him." Kim wasn't fooled, and Rachel didn't present a very strong argument but it was all she had right now. She took another look at the baby and had a large gulp of wine, knowing she was going to be in for a wild ride.

"Rach…"

"I know," she cut her off. "Trust me, I know. But the fact is, Melissa is likely going to prison."

Kim started. "Because of the baby?"

"Not exactly," Rachel looked grim. "Mel… she was still married when she got married a second time."

They had- somehow- managed to hide that fact from everyone when Melissa had left the first time. Eddie had simply said Melissa had left, without elucidating on why. Despite her exasperation, Rachel hadn't wanted to see her sister locked up and so kept quiet, meaning that now Kim's jaw dropped open as the secret came to light.

"That's… what?"

"It only came out last year," Rachel shrugged slightly, chewing her lip. "And as much as we pressed her to go to the police, she never did. So now…"

"When they find out she'll be charged," Kim finished.

"I can't protect her this time."

She raised an eyebrow. "Would you? Even if you could?"

Rachel sighed, shrugging slightly. "I know what she's done. She needs to answer for her actions, I do know that, but… she's my little sister. I still remember the little girl in pigtails who used to hold my hand on the way to school."

"But she's not a little girl anymore, Rach."

"I know. And truthfully, I'm so angry with her that I'm not sure what will happen if- when- I see her again," she admitted. "But I can't hate her, not completely." She found her gaze drawn to the baby, still sound asleep. "There is a chance Mel doesn't know who his dad is, or even if she does, he might not want to be involved."

"And there is also every chance that he will," Kim reminded her gently. "Rachel, I'm not trying to be unsupportive, I just don't want to see you get hurt. I've been there- there's nothing worse."

"And I appreciate it. I just… think it may be too late," she looked sheepish. Kim shot her a sympathetic smile.

"Come on- let's get some of this set up."

They got to work- Kim knew a lot, thanks to Grace but some of it was beyond her. Grace had been too old to need a steriliser, for example, which led to the pair pouring over the instructions. They took a break halfway through for dinner- Kim entertained Phil, while Rachel ate with her laptop in front of her, taking a crash course in baby care. The was just so much, she thought ruefully, and a lot of the information conflicted! Thankfully, she had leaflets a thoughtful nurse had given her- safer sleep, bottle preparation and feeding, signs of illness… and that was just a few of them! And then there was work tomorrow… what on earth was she going to do then?

"Uh oh, you have the look!" Kim joked.

"The look?"

"I've seen it a few times. Mostly on new teachers, but I guess it covers your situation as well," she grinned. "It's the- 'oh shit, what have I gotten myself into?' look."

Rachel pushed her plate away and dropped her head onto the table. "I know next to nothing about babies. I've held a few, even babysat for a friend once. But actually looking after one? What was I thinking? All of this," she gestured to the leaflets and the laptop, "I don't have a clue! What if I hurt him by accident?"

"Rachel," Kim said firmly, noting Phillip's badly disguised look of panic beside her. "I know i've never had a newborn, but I do have nieces and nephews. And there are only four basic things a baby absolutely needs. They need to be fed, they need to be clean, they need to be warm. And they need to be safe," she emphasised, putting her hand over her wrist. "You've got that covered. Everything else is going to fall into place."

"Rach," Phillip caught her attention with a timid voice. "You stood in front of a drunk driving a digger last year. You went back to school after the fire, and Eddie, and mum. If you can do that, you can handle a baby."

Rachel sighed, blushing slightly. "Well, I'm glad you two are confident." She didn't meet their gaze, standing and gathering the papers. "Phil, will you clear the table?"

Phillip obeyed immediately and the two adults left to rejoin the chaos they'd left in the living room, pieces of a Moses blanket littering the floor having yet to be put together.

"You get off Kim, I'm sure you've got better things to be doing." Rachel commented, conscious of how much time her friend had already given up to deal with her problems.

"Don't be silly, I'll set up here for the night. You know, to help out if you need it. You're not alone, stop thinking you are." Kim playfully knocked her shoulder into Rachel's and she felt eternally grateful for her job for bringing such amazing people into her life.

"Thank you." Tired of fighting, Rachel simply agreed. She would try her hardest not to wake Kim if necessary, but it would be nice to have an extra hand if needed for if things got overwhelming. At the thought, her mind finally wandered to Eddie and she finally let herself wish he was here with her to deal with the situation. If it was anyone else involved, and before the fateful day outside Waterloo Road, he would without a doubt be by her side through everything. But that day did happen, and this did involve both her sister and his ex. She shook her head from all thoughts of him, determined to focus on Harry and getting everything in order. Unfortunately, that included arranging a meeting at work and asking for guidance with what to do. Obviously she would not be granted maternity leave, but hopefully there would be something she would be entitled to as a Secondary school was hardly the place for a newborn.

The next morning, Rachel has to physically drag herself from bed. She had been woken up 4 separate times to tend to Harry's needs, mostly just for comfort. She ended up sitting on the small ledge at her bedroom window and showing Harry the night sky, her voice calming him and sending him back to sleep. The final time, around 4am, he screamed relentlessly and refused to take a bottle. Rachel felt at her wits end, and Kim finally emerged to lend a hand.

"He's scared Rach, he's been passed around so much he doesn't know where he can settle." Kim offered, and Rachel knew she was right. The poor baby had spent less than 24 hours with his real mother and had yet to bond with a person. No wonder he had attachment issues already!

"Can you pass me my dressing gown?" Kim agreed and handed it Rachel from the back of the door. "I've got this Kim, thank you for coming in." Pacified that Rachel had it figured out, Kim padded back to the spare room to catch a few more hours sleep before another relentless day at work began.

With Kim gone, Rachel quickly set about laying Harry down in the middle of her bed before taking off her nightshirt and draping her dressing gown around her. She was still in her bra, but she had read on the internet in one of her many searches of the day that skin to skin contact was a good way to bond, so she was up for anything at this point to stop his whimpers. She took off Harry's vest and lifted him up, getting herself settled against the headboard and laying Harry on her chest. She kept the robe open so it kept her arms warm but provided the baby with the space on her skin to settle. For a while, it was like nothing was working. He continued to cry in protest, but after a few quiet words of encouragement from his Aunt, Harry finally began to settle. His cries quietened down, his breaths turning into pants as he calmed himself down and slowly returned to normal. Rachel looked down as the moonlight shone through her room and highlighted his face, taken back by the cuteness of his eyes fighting sleep while he clenched his fists together on her chest.

"Oh boy, I'm in trouble." She rested a hand on his back to prove to him that she was still there, more for his benefit than hers. It was true, she was definitely in trouble already and completely entranced with the small baby that had managed to capture her heart.

She'd read the advice that said not to sleep with the baby, so she was planning to stay awake but she was so tired that she couldn't stop herself from resting her head back, her eyes closing, just for a moment, until she was sure he would remain asleep and could put him down again.

And then all of a sudden, she was jerked awake by a hand on her arm. Thankfully, Kim had anticipated her reaction and also had a hand on Harry, supporting him as Rachel almost jerked upright, forgetting the events of the day before for a split second. Both women froze in place, waiting as the baby snuffled, wriggled slightly and then drifted back to sleep.

"Sorry," Kim whispered. "But you're going to be late if you don't get moving."

"What time is it?"

"Half seven."

Rachel winced- under normal circumstances, she'd have been up for a little while. "Have you heard Phil moving about?" she questioned, trying to kick her brain into gear.

"Yeah, he's downstairs. There's coffee next to you." Sure enough, a steaming mug sat on the bedside table, and Rachel shot her a grateful look.

"You're an angel."

"You want me to take him while you get ready?"

No, was the honest answer to that. There was a part of her that wanted to keep the little boy near to her, where she knew he was safe. But logical thought won over, and she nodded. "Thanks."

Kim carefully scooped him up, moving slowly so as not to disturb him and left the room. It was only at that point Rachel realised she wasn't fully dressed, scar on show and she flushed, nausea gripping her. It's just Kim, she reminded herself. They might not have known each other for long, but she was a good friend, who wouldn't care about scars or more flesh than was usually considered decent. With a mental shake, she climbed out of bed and got ready in record time; she showered, dressed and had her makeup done in the time it usually took her to drink her coffee. Her damp hair was twisted into a bun- it would at least stay neat that way- and she gathered the used bottles and dummies to dump in the steriliser.

Phil looked up when she entered the kitchen, a teasing expression flashing across his face. "And you say I get up too late!"

"Shut it, mister. Or shall I remind you of the day after half term last year?" she cocked an eyebrow at him, smirking as he blushed and squirmed in his seat. For reasons unknown, he'd forgotten he had school on Monday morning and instead stayed up playing computer games until the early hours, unbeknownst to his aunt. When he didn't wake, she came to drag him out of bed and only semi-conscious, he'd groaned and unthinkingly revealed that he'd only gone to bed two hours before, so please leave him be.

She hadn't been impressed.

Thankfully, he hadn't repeated it and was actively helpful with Harry, so less than an hour later they were pulling into school. Rachel juggled her bags and the baby carrier, which the car seat helpfully converted into, while Phillip hovered anxiously until she sent him to class with strict orders not to come and see Harry unless he had a free.

Because the universe hated her, Max was already in the outer office when she arrived. He opened his mouth, no doubt to make a pointed jibe about her time-keeping but it died when he spotted the baby. "What-?"

"Long story," she said shortly, brushing past him and putting everything down, much to the relief of her arms. He followed her in, stood in the doorway with a look of incredulous disbelief on his face.

"You can't keep a baby in here, Rachel."

"Don't you think I know that?" she snapped, then immediately took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a brief second. "Sorry."

He stared at her.

"Look." She turned, meeting his gaze with a steely glare of her own. "You don't like me- we both know that. And that's fine, I don't much care. But I have one nephew who has been abandoned by his mother for the second time in less than six months, and another who's been abandoned at a day old. I have a police investigation and social services to contend with along with the practicalities of looking after a newborn and a vulnerable sixteen-year-old simultaneously, whilst running a school and top of all that I have a sister who's either having some sort of mental breakdown or who is a closet sociopath- I haven't quite figured out which. And since I'm pretty sure you do actually care for the kids in your own way, could you please just pretend for today that you can tolerate me, and cut me a break?"

She didn't wait for his response, instead whirling on the spot to slip off her jacket and begin to sort out the mess than had accumulated on her desk, despite her absence the afternoon before.

Rachel prayed that the day would pass without much commotion, hoping she would be able to shut herself in her office until she needed to attend her meeting with the LEA and a select few governors. She had no idea where she stood with any form of leave, but with the way Harry was currently screaming from his car seat, she knew this couldn't continue for much longer.

"Sorry Rachel, but Lindsey and Michalea are at it again." Steph burst into the room, immediately stopping in her tracks at the sight of the baby and the sound of his screams. "I've put them in the cooler but... why do you have a baby?" Steph asked, finally unable to pretend like she wasn't seeing what was in front of her and needing to know the truth.

"Long story, I'll fill you in when I get back. Can you have him for a minute?" Rachel didn't leave room for argument, handing Harry over to Steph and quickly walking to deal with yet another argument from the girls. Her meeting in the afternoon truly could not come quick enough.

"But I have a class!" Steph called after her, but Rachel had already walked into the corridor. So instead, she decided to make the most of the break from her year 10's and take a seat on the sofa, attempting to calm the baby as she did so. Looking at his face, she tried to figure out who he could possibly resemble. Was he Rachel's? But she'd seen Rachel yesterday, and every day for the previous weeks and she had definitely not been pregnant. Did Rachel adopt overnight? But she couldn't imagine her boss being so unprepared to have to bring a child to work with her. She remembered seeing Melissa from the last day of term, and realised it must be the only reasonable explanation. But why did Rachel have him? And why was a certain Mr Lawson?

While Steph had been daydreaming, she'd managed to sway the baby so he quietened down. Rachel reappeared and was grateful to find her office a lot less chaotic than when she'd left it.

"Sorry Steph, but it looks like I'll be calling on you in the future." She laughed, and took the opportunity to take a seat in her chair and stretch out slightly.

"Melissa's baby, right?" Steph asked, needing to know immediately what had transpired in the 24 hours since Rachel had snuck off work early and left Kim and Chris in charge.

"Right. I've got Ruby to cover your class so you're free to catch up on the gossip." Rachel rolled her eyes and stood up to put the kettle on, needing to get herself a coffee if she was going to make it through her meeting without falling asleep.

"I don't want the gossip Rachel, I want to know you're okay." Since the death of Maxine, Steph and Rachel had finally found a mutual respect for one another and had actually become firm friends. Steph even checked up on Rachel a few times over Summer after Eddie had left. She saw the state of her boss and how she wasn't coping with the heartache, so she couldn't comprehend why she was currently taking care of the baby that belong to her sister and her ex.

"I'm fine, but he is Melissa's. However, Harry isn't Eddie's baby. Well, we don't think. We're waiting on results, but he seems to think it's impossible." Steph had so many questions running around her head, the entire situation making her brain hurt slightly as she thought of it.

"Oh my god, you've seen him? How did it go? How do you feel?" In Steph's excitement, she woke Harry and Rachel looked at the time. He was due another feed so she flicked the switch of the microwave she had borrowed from the kitchen and grabbed another bottle from a bag from the floor. She warmed it up and busied herself as she answered the questions.

"I've seen him. It was hard, I feel confused. He's been texting me all morning to see how I am, but it's got to be hard for him. Yesterday morning, he thought he was going to be a dad again and now, he's got nothing." She took the bottle and tested the temperature on her wrist before taking the baby from Steph and settling next to her, placing a bib around Harry's next and a cloth on her shoulder before calming his cries with some milk.

"He's still got you, hasn't he?" Steph asked, watching how easily Rachel was handling looking after a child that didn't even look a week old. Rachel shook her head, not wanting to think of that now.

"I need to focus on my nephews. Phillip has been abandoned by his mum again, and she left a baby after a few hours to run off to god knows where. They need me right now." Steph hummed an agreement and decided to leave Rachel to her thoughts in peace.

"Come and get me if you need me, I'll make you a coffee before I go." She stood to make the drink and Rachel accepted the offer gratefully, before thanking Steph and continuing to feed Harry.

She continued with the paperwork on her desk while Harry slept after his bottle, and was too engrossed in a spreadsheet to hear a knock on the door.

"Sorry, I tried knocking." The sound of Eddie's voice pulled her out of trance and she looked up in shock at him stood in front of her for the second time in 24 hours.

"Eddie, what are you doing here?" She asked softly, not wanting to put him in any position that he wasn't comfortable with yet.

"Kim called and told me about your meeting, I thought I'd come and help take care of the baby? The hospital called, he's definitely not mine." Rachel's heart broke and she stood up immediately, then realised she wasn't too sure of her next steps. Should she hug him? Was that too far? What did this mean for them now? "No Rach, it's fine. I've had all night to process it." Rachel still stood up and watched him, watched him as he approached the sleeping baby in the car seat on her sofas. He sat down next to him and traced a finger over his clenched fists.

"Phillip named him, he didn't want to keep calling him 'the baby' so meet Harry." Rachel walked over, wanting to know from the look on Eddie's face exactly what he was feeling.

"Harry.. I like it. Look Rach." Eddie pulled his gaze away to look at her, and her heart fluttered as the pet name he had always used for her made a return.

"He's not my son but he's your nephew. And I want to be here for you, to help you. Everything you said before." They both dropped their gaze as they were forced to remember the worst day of both their lives. "If you still mean that, I will completely respect your wishes. But if not, I'm here. There's nothing standing in our way now." He stood slowly and placed a finger under her chin, lifting her head gently so their eyes met once more. "What do you say?"

Every single part of her wanted to say yes.

"I'm keeping him," she blurted out, then immediately flushed and hastened to explain. "If… if they don't find his father. Melissa won't be able to care for him and… I'm not giving him up. Eddie, you'll be signing on for all three of us."

"Don't you think I know that?" he looked amused. "You forget, Rachel- I know you. I knew yesterday you'd never willingly give him up."

"You knew more than me then," she muttered good naturedly. She stared down at the baby, suddenly remembering that he wasn't supposed to stay in his car seat for more than two hours at a time… something to do with his breathing? She was so tired she couldn't quite remember…

"Rachel?" Eddie touched her arm gently. "Are you okay?"

She shook herself, straightening her spine in an effort to force herself awake. "Yeah. Sorry."

"Rach," he began softly. "You were never second fiddle to Melissa. If anything, it was the other way around."

She ducked her head to avoid his gaze, suddenly not wanting to have this conversation. "Eddie, you don't need to-,"

"Yes I do." He looked at her measuredly, steel entering his gaze as she glanced up at him and found herself unable to look away. "Your comment yesterday tells me I do. Rachel, I was an idiot with wounded pride, and I thought… honestly, I don't know what I thought," he admitted. "Melissa was just there, and she's such a whirlwind that when I was with her I didn't have to think about what it meant."

"You proposed to her."

He could hear the flicker of pain in her voice, wasn't fooled by the nonchalant way she was adjusting Harry's blankets, studiously avoiding his eyes. How long had this been lingering under the surface? She hadn't given any indication last term, hadn't even hinted that these doubts were floating around her mind. And then when Melissa had turned up again… he internally winced at the thoughts she must have had. "I was an idiot," he repeated quietly. "Melissa had it right, what she accused us of before she left the first time. I was in love with you, and I knew it. Funny thing is, I didn't even like her much that first day. I remember thinking how irresponsible she was, what a careless parent she was." And wasn't that just bitterly ironic? "I couldn't understand how the two of you could be so different."

"We've had very different lives," Rachel commented softly. Her motions had stilled as she listened, hope sparking within her as her mind raced. She loved him, that much she knew. And despite everything, she did trust him. And she certainly missed him.

"I should never have gotten involved, not with her or anyone else. And I shouldn't have chosen your first day back to confront you."

"It was over a year ago, Eddie…"

"But this needs to be said." He was still watching her, calm but resolute. "Rachel, I made a lot of mistakes. I was a fool- I should have followed my instincts but I didn't, and here we are. If you can't forgive me, then I do understand."

She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "Only you could blame yourself entirely for this."

"It was my fault," he pointed out.

"Not entirely. I pushed you away while simultaneously trying to keep you close, and Melissa… Melissa knew how we both felt but dated you regardless." It was bitterly painful to admit, but it needed to be said, she acknowledged. "She played us both. She knew exactly which buttons to push to draw you in, to keep me feeling guilty about how I felt. We're all to blame for this. We should have been honest from the beginning, then none of this would ever have happened."

She was so busy staring down at her hands as she spoke, that she didn't see him reach out to lightly grip her arm. "Then let's be honest from now on," he suggested firmly. "I love you. Always have. And I want a life with you, Rach. I want coffee in the mornings and laughing over bad TV in the evenings and I want to be one of those old couples who hold hands while shuffling down the high street bickering over which one made them late."

"Eddie!" she cracked up, pressing a hand over her mouth to suppress giggles. He grinned at her, but was deadly serious as he slid his hand down to entwine with hers.

"I want you," he continued, and the serious declaration had the laughter dying away almost immediately. "If you're not ready for that yet, then I'll wait. But Rach, I need you to know that I mean it."

He could practically see the thoughts and emotions swirling through her eyes. She reached out, thumb tracing his cheekbone as she apparently considered something, her gaze never leaving his. Hope sparked within him, that she hadn't immediately shot him down or refused. She bit her lip, but didn't say anything. Hoping to encourage her, he swirled his thumb over her knuckles, his head tilting slightly. "What is it?"

"I… Eddie, I need you to be sure," she whispered. "Because if you're not… I'm not sure how I'd survive it again."

He didn't remove his gaze from hers. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

Stark relief was visible in her eyes, but he didn't have a chance to consider what that meant because she'd already leant forward over the baby carrier, pressing her lips to his, hand still cupping his cheek.

Eddie reacted in no time, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her as close as possible despite the baby carrier in the way. He could feel her smile as he kissed her, and it sent his heart soaring through the sky.

"It's going to be hard." Rachel commented, wanting to give him as much chance to leave now before things got rough.

"I don't care." Eddie answered with another kiss to her lips, not being able to get enough of her now he finally had her back.

"There's two children involved too." She muttered against his lips, pathetically thinking of reasons but each time getting lost in his eyes and drawn back to his mouth.

"They're family, I'm staying." Kissing the corner of her mouth and then trailing them up her cheek, he allowed her to worry about anything she saw fit, knowing she simply needed his promises and reassurance. He couldn't blame her, she had been let down and left broken so many times before. And despite how many times he tried to contact her over summer, he should have made contact with the step in front of her front door and not left until she'd heard him out. He would always regret the things he didn't do but this was his third and final chance to have a life with Rachel Mason, and there was no way he was letting that go easily.

"There will be, Oh god. I don't even know." She'd finally run out of things to question him on, having voiced all of her insecurities and gotten the replies she had always longed to hear.

"Stop thinking, stop talking." Rachel agreed and finally planted her lips to his fully, her hands cupping his face and keeping him close to her. She got herself reacquainted with his lips, the taste of his tongue and how amazing it felt to be close to him. However, before she could get too carried away she was interrupted with a piercing wail from her feet.

"I suppose we should get used to that." Eddie joked, and rested his forehead against hers to catch his breath. Rachel let out a laugh and finally pulled herself away for long enough to lean down and unclip Harry from his seat, lifting him up and settling him in her arms.

"He just wants cuddles, don't you big guy?" She bounced him gently in her arms to calm him down, and was instead rewarded with a burp and half of the milk he had been given spat up on the sleeve of her suit jacket. "Maybe not cuddles then." She rolled her eyes and moved him around so she could take her jacket off comfortably, but Eddie noticed her struggling.

"Hand him here." He offered, not giving her space to answer before taking Harry off her hands and allowing her the chance to rid herself of the jacket. Rachel did as needed before stopping and admiring as Eddie held the baby, rocking him in his arms to keep him calm after the change in position.

"Eddie, are you sure?" Rachel asked, her nerves having returned. It was only 24 hours ago that Eddie thought he was to be a father again, and now he was facing life without another child but still taking care of one.

"I'm sure about you Rachel." He promised, sincerity shining in his eyes as he looked at her. "I've spent all night thinking about it and yes, I was heartbroken at first. But now, I can have it all. I already have a wonderful little boy, and this way I get you in my life again which is all I've wanted. And if being with you means taking care of your nephews, I'm right by your side." He looked down at Harry and truly saw nothing but Rachel's nephew, and felt a surge of love for him truly out of how much he loved his Aunt.

"It's time for your meeting." Kim knocked before quickly entering, then surveying the situation in front of her and looking sheepishly at the floor. "Sorry Eddie, I didn't know you were here." She smirked to herself, fooling nobody as she failed to hide her happiness. Rachel looked at the clock and realised how long her and Eddie had been talking, and she had hardly prepared for her meeting at all.

"Don't worry, I've got him. You go." Eddie willed her away, kissing her cheek quickly and sending her on her way without anything to worry about. She fondly rolled her eyes and followed him out of the door. Nothing to worry about, apart from a room of governors with no idea what she was about to hit them with.

She walked quickly to the meeting room, and was somehow unsurprised to see Max sitting in there as well, a small smirk playing across his lips. She resisted the urge to sigh, and instead smiled sweetly at him, greeting the governors who were still milling around the room and delighting in the fact that she not only knew every name, but also enough to politely enquire after their families, their holiday, that new policy they'd been trying to implement? Until the secret of her past had been revealed, she'd been the golden girl of the Education Authority and she hadn't gotten there by accident. Now, she used every trick she knew so that by the time they sat down, they were all sufficiently warmed towards her and Max was practically glowering in anger.

She was painfully careful to spin the story in the best light- the tragedy of her sister's apparent breakdown, the cruel abandonment of her newborn and teenaged son (Phillip was such a wonderful student, she told them proudly, very promising with some of the best results in his year group… and a good influence with his friends, encouraging them to study. Why he'd probably helped raise the grades of a good portion of last year's GCSE results!), her own determination to prevent either ending up in foster care. She wasn't asking for money, she assured them, or even leave. Just a bit of leeway.

Fifteen minutes later, she had permission to keep Harry with her in the office until the initial investigation into Melissa was complete and something more permanent was decided regarding her children. Max had complained, asking how he was supposed to work with a crying baby in the office- Rachel was rather proud of the innocent, wide-eyed expression she'd managed to put on, pointing out that he would have to visit the other schools under his care soon, lest he start to neglect them so would he be spending that much time in the office anyway? There were a few parents on the board- some well-placed hints about the wellbeing of Harry and concerns over his safety, along with how good their support and protection would look for any authority turning their attention towards the school pretty much clinched it. It wouldn't be for long anyway- when Harry was six weeks old he could go into the creche during the day. She just had to manage until then.

She schmoozed with the governors after the meeting, walking them out and being sure to thank those who had been especially supportive. Max won no points by vanishing almost immediately, although Rachel was careful not to make any comments about that. But she knew it had been noticed.

The last woman gone, she exhaled a long breath, turning to walk back to her office. Instead, she found Phillip hovering behind her. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Just finished. How'd it go?"

They began walking, Rachel discreetly studying him as they did so. "Harry can stay with me during the school day, and I'll be granted the time off for anything legal or medical to do with the two of you."

"You're going to keep him in your office?" he sounded doubtful.

"Only until he's old enough to go into the creche," she laughed slightly. "With half term, it'll actually be less than five weeks he spends with me. Although I might have to ask you to look after him if I have a meeting and you a free."

"That's fine!" he sounded unbearably eager, and she had to resist the urge to smile, knowing he would take it the wrong way. They reached the outer office, and it was only then that Rachel remember exactly who she'd left Harry with, and what had happened just before she left. None of which the boy beside her knew about.

"Speaking of your brother, why don't we go and see him?" Rachel offered, heading towards her office with Phillip following her immediately.

"Who had him during your meeting? I wouldn't of minded if you'd come to get me you know." Rachel smiled at his reply and how he had taken to his role as big brother like a duck to water, and she felt incredibly proud of him.

"Actually, Eddie had him." Phillip stopped in his tracks in a state of shock. He knew Eddie loved his Aunt, but he never dreamt that he would be doing this. Yesterday, he thought he was to be a father again and now he was taking on caring for a baby that wasn't his but he would still have to see every day. Phillip had always wondered what being in love was like, and knew this was definitely a definition of it.

"Eddie's looking after Harry? Even though he knows he's not his?" Phillip questioned, trying to get his head around the situation and wanting to clarify some missing pieces in his head.

"Yes and yes. Any more questions?" Rachel rolled her eyes and tried to hide a smirk as she spoke to Phillip about it. He still was yet to hear the full story, and she knew he would be over the moon when he did.

"Are you back together? Do you still love him? Do you mind that he's around? Does he mind about Harry? What will this mean for me? Does he know I'm living with you too at the minute?" Phillip fired off questions and let out a deep breath when he had finished, looking at Rachel and expecting her answers with pleading eyes. Rachel's head spun as she took in all of the information, but stopped to lean against the wall next to him and explain some things before they continued to her office and saw Eddie.

"Phillip, slow down. You're going to give yourself brain freeze with thinking like that." She laughed, nudging his shoulder gently. But as she looked at him, she realized her nephew was more vulnerable than she had ever realized. All he wanted was a perfect family home, parents to love him and a place to feel safe. He had that with her and Eddie before he was taken away again by his mother, and she could tell he was desperate to get him back. She definitely didn't want to get his hopes up, but her conversation with Eddie had given her no reason to doubt him and she felt comfortable that he would never truly leave Phillip's life unless it was asked of him.

"We're working on it, okay? I don't want to give you any promises but of course I still love him. He knows about Harry and you living with me, and he's on board. So for now, that's all I can offer you. And it doesn't mean anything for you Phil, I'm your Aunt first and foremost and Eddie thinks the world of you. You are our first priority always, and we will do our absolute hardest to look after both you and your brother." Rachel promised, knowing that despite his age he still longed for reassurance. Rachel found herself once again curing her sister for everything she had done to the child stood in front of her, and vowed to only improve his life in every way possible from this moment forward. She would move heaven and earth for Phillip, she just wished his mum felt the same.

Phil grinned at her, a wide, happy grin that shone from his whole face. Rachel hooked an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a half-hug just as the sound of a disgruntled baby drifted to them from the office. "I think that's our cue," he commented. By the time Rachel had pushed the door open, however, Eddie had quieted Harry, the little boy barely visible in his arms. He looked up as they came in, a look of surprise on his face.

"That was quick!"

She smirked, eyes dancing with amusement. "What can I say? I'm just that good."

That caused him to snort with laughter, rising to his feet with Harry still in his arms. "And so modest."

"So what'd they say?"

She explained while simultaneously shuffling papers on her desk, not looking up at her two boys as she deftly multitasked in the hopes of being able to leave when the bell rang. Which meant she was surprised to turn towards the filing cabinet, only to run into Eddie, who was leant behind her. A quick glance showed that Phillip had apparently commandeered his brother, sat on the sofa with his head bent, not paying the slightest bit of attention to them as Eddie slid his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I didn't get to do this earlier…"

She smiled, biting her lip and discarding the papers as she allowed herself to lean against him, arms wrapping around his waist. She felt his lips on her hair, fingers tightening almost convulsively against her when she looked up at him, keeping her against him. She didn't protest, despite the flicker of unease that went through her when she imagined Max's reaction if he walked in right then. "How are you here?" she wondered for the first time. "Don't you have work?"

He looked sheepish. "I have a very understanding boss. Explained what Melissa had done and he let me take compassionate leave for the rest of the week."

"Maybe don't mention this to him then," she said dryly. Next to him, Phillip's phone beeped and he looked at it curiously.

"Can Ros come up to see him?" he nodded towards the baby. Rachel hesitated for a moment, before nodding.

"Just Ros though," she warned. He readily agreed, texting her back as Rachel turned back to her former deputy. "Are you staying?"

"Do you want me to?"

The tone of his voice had her shooting a frown at him. "I don't want to play games, Eddie…"

He held up his hands, pretending to surrender. "Sorry, bad joke. No games, Rach, I promise." He met her gaze, trying to show he was sincere and after a long moment she nodded, head ducking back to her paperwork.

"Aren't you going to eat, Rach?" Phil asked.

"I'll get something later."

He frowned, exchanging a concerned look with Eddie. "Tell you what," the man began, crossing the room to him, "why don't you go meet Ros and pick up lunch for all three of you, then come back up here?"

Rachel frowned, glancing up and about to protest but Phil had already agreed, passing Harry over and vanishing from the room. "I don't want lunch, Eddie," she told him impatiently. "I want to get this done."

"You need to eat."

"I don't need you to decide that for me!"

He tilted his head at her, a calm expression on his face as he swayed slightly to soothe a wriggling Harry. "Why are you picking a fight?"

"I'm not picking a fight. I just don't need you speaking for me!" she stood, coming around the desk to take Harry from him as he started to whimper, not paying attention to the way Eddie carefully watched her.

"Rachel," he said gently, "I'm not your enemy. I'm trying to help."

"I'm perfectly capable on my own."

"I know that," he agreed patiently. "But everyone needs a hand every so often. Even you. Now what's wrong? Why are you jumping down my throat?"

Rachel considered his questions and immediately felt guilty, her mood clearly having an effect on the baby as he refused to settle in her arms either. She shushed him softly and rocked him gently, before looking up to Eddie sheepishly. "I'm sorry." She admitted, and Eddie realised he was out of the firing line and stepped closer to her once more. "I know you're not the enemy here, it's just a lot."

"I get that Rach, of course I do." He reached up to cup her cheek and pulled her closer to him by circling his arm around her waist and moved her. "But you have always, and always will be, my priority. I now get the chance to show you that, so if I can do it by simply making sure you eat lunch, I will." His guilt crept back from the previous months, knowing that although Rachel had a beautiful new haircut it didn't disguise the fact to him that she hadn't been eating.

"You know me, I'm not used to being able to rely on anyone. And with the recent months, I've been alone so I've dealt with it." She didn't mean to sound bitter, but their situation still played heavily on her mind and her insecurities. No matter how much she trusted him and wanted it to work, she still couldn't shake the feeling of still not being good enough.

Eddie's heart sank at her words and he pulled her into a hug, letting her rest against him and move him around so that it held her and Harry at the same time. "I'll never be able to forgive myself for not fighting harder, but I wanted to respect your wishes Rach. I didn't want to make it harder for you." Eddie admitted. He knew he took the easy way out, but he was also truthful in the fact that he hadn't wanted to push her too far.

Rachel rested against him for a moment before lifting her head to look up at him, sincerity in his face mixed with the guilt that was obviously eating away at him. In that moment, Rachel realized she needed to finally let the past go. She had dealt with her insecurities when her and Eddie had finally gotten together so there was no way she would allow them to hurt her relationship the second time around. "Let's make a deal." She suggested, lifting a hand to stroke at Harry's hair. "No more talk of the past, okay? It's you, me, these nephews of mine and the future. How does that sound?"

"Perfect." Eddie gave his simply reply before lowering his head to drop a small kiss on her lips, struggling to capture her mouth due to smiling so much at her suggestion. They heard Phillip approach and pulled apart with just enough time before they scarred two teenagers for life.

"He's grown already, is that possible?" Ros asked, and Phillip quickly bound over to collect his brother and show him off to his friend. Eddie lead Rachel over to her table where Ros had put their food down, sitting down and pulled her practically down onto his lap so they could remain as close as possible. Rachel just hoped Max didn't choose that moment to decide to need the office and break her bubble of happiness.

"Shall we go out tonight?" Eddie offered, watching Phillip interact with his brother and feeling nothing but pride. "Just for a meal, the 4 of us. We may as well get used to taking Harry out with us." Rachel was touched by the thoughtfulness of his suggestion and nodded her head quickly.

"That sounds good, but I need to call social services soon. They're going to come and check I've got the house set up for a baby, which I have thanks to Kim. And I need to get an update on Harry's father, they may have found him."

Eddie looked doubtful. "Do you really think so? DNA testing will take months and there's no guarantee he'll be in the system, so unless they find Melissa and she tells them..."

"How'd they know you weren't his dad then?" Phillip asked. They both jumped, not having realised the two teens were listening to them.

"Blood typing," he supplied after a few beats. "Harry doesn't match Mel so he must match his father..."

"But he didn't match you," Ros realised, then blushed a brilliant red. Eddie didn't take offence, giving a nod.

"Exactly."

"What if Mum doesn't know?" Phil wondered. "I wouldn't put it past her..."

Rachel suddenly realised Phillip didn't know that Melissa would likely be going to prison, regardless of what the CPS decided about Harry. She cringed internally, realising that that wasn't doing to be a fun conversation. And neither was it one that should be conducted in front of Ros, she reflected. She dug her fingers into Eddie's thigh, silencing him before he could answer as she shrugged in her nephew's direction. "Then the point is moot," she answered lightly. "Harry will have to make do with us."

He seemed to accept that answer, turning back towards the baby and beginning to quietly talk to Ros about their French assignment, while Eddie shot Rachel a slightly confused look. She gave a small shake of her head. 'Later,' she mouthed. He squeezed her hand gently, acknowledging her request and immediately struck up a conversation with Ros about her future plans.

An hour later, the kids had been sent to class and Eddie had reluctantly been sent home- if Rachel were honest, he was simply too much of a distraction to have around the office whilst she was trying to get some work done. He'd pouted, but agreed to go and pick her and Phil up from home after the social worker was gone (she thought it may be complicated to explain the whole situation with Eddie to the woman, who likely wouldn't completely understand anyway). Which left her with an hour and a half before she could leave for the day.

If she were lucky, Harry would sleep through until she made it home, she thought hopefully, tucking the little boy into the crook of her elbow while writing with her other arm. That would easily give her enough time to finish all this paperwork, check on Lindsay and Emily, start the coversheet for tomorrow and-

Harry let out a piercing wail, abruptly waking her from the paperwork fog. She looked down at him in surprise, dropping her pen to scoop him higher against her. "What's wrong with you?"

He continued to cry, no matter what she did. She swayed, rocked, swaddled and then un-swaddled him. She tried to feed him, but he wasn't interested. He spat out the dummy she attempted to give him, didn't have a wet or dirty nappy and as far as she could tell, didn't seem to have a temperature. Nothing she did calmed him, and she was uncomfortably reminded of last night. She was about to take her top of in the middle of the school day, she thought with a grimace, hoping she'd figure it out soon.

Finally, she climbed onto the sofa, leaning backwards so that the baby could lay on her chest, his tiny fists clenching around her blouse. After a minute, the screams weren't quite as fierce and unhappy. "Oh, getting you to sleep in a cot is going to be a nightmare, isn't it?" she murmured, amused more than upset.

He wiggled, his left hand pushing against her. She frowned slightly, looking down at him. "What are you trying to do?" on instinct, she moved him so that he was lying more on his right side.

All of a sudden, a small, coughing noise came from him. Without thinking about it she shot upright, grabbing a muslin cloth from the table and deftly caught the resurgence of lunchtime's milk that he produced. "Well, that explains that," she commented dryly. "See if I let Phillip wind you again."

Glancing at the clock, she now had less than half an hour before the bell would ring.

She needed coffee, she decided, rising to her feet and tucking Harry's blanket back around him. Only to stop in dismay when she realised there was no coffee in her pot. She paused, chewing her lip and wondering if it was really worth traipsing to the staffroom for, where she was sure to be inundated with questions by whoever was on their non-contact hours. In the end, however, the heaviness in her eyes won out.

She headed towards the door and braced herself before entering the corridors, grateful it wasn't busy yet as the end of school bell had yet to ring. She briskly walked past the numerous classrooms she came across with hopes to avoid any unwanted attention from students on her way. As she headed towards the staff room with the door in sight, she let out a sigh of relief. Now she only had the staff to deal with.

"Watch it Mason!" Grantly grumbled, and she wondered how she had ever survived a day without this much coffee before. She went to reply but he stopped in his tracks at the sight of the baby, and quickly mumbled an apology before practically running away, stopping every few steps of his brisk walk to turn and check he had not been hallucinating what he had seen. No, there was definitely an infant tucked into the arm of his boss. And she definitely hasn't made an announcement about a pregnancy, he was sure he hadn't missed that.

Rachel finally made it into the room and was grateful to see Kim in the corner making herself a drink, joined by Steph who looked just as happy to see her boss and the baby she held.

"I'm glad I've seen you!" Kim exclaimed happily, moving back to her previous seat and fetching something she had been keeping there for Rachel. "I saw Eddie on his way out and he told me about the meeting, so I nipped out on my lunch to get you this." She held up a small cushioned harness with what looked like neverending straps. Rachel cocked her head to the side as she studied it, trying to work out what on Earth Kim could possibly be trying to show her.

"Kim, what is that?" Steph luckily answered for Rachel, taking it from Kim's hold and holding it up in multiple different ways to try and figure out what it was. She soon gave up and instead turned to Rachel. "Do you need a coffee?" Rachel nodded quickly, completely grateful for the understand her and Steph now had for each other and the slight friendship they had formed. In Rachel's early days, she would have hated to see Steph here now with fear of her personal life branded around the staff team within 5 minutes. But now, she was grateful for the help offered and the support she provided.

"It's for him, let me show you." Kim moved over to Rachel and secured a set of straps around Rachel's waist. She then brought the remaining straps up to around her shoulders and put them in place. She finally took the baby from Rachel's arms and before she could protest, put him in the cushioned harness and secured him in place safely against her chest. Now, Rachel had free use of her arms while keeping Harry close to her so calm him if he began to cry.

"Oh my god, Kim. You're a bloody genius." Rachel stood and dramatically rolled her arms to the sides, flexing her fingers and stretching any pain she had developed from holding Harry for so long. Steph came over and handed her the coffee, in a secure travel cup that meant she was still able to drink without the fear of spilling a drop of scolding liquid onto her nephew's head.

"I'm sorry, back track. Eddie was here? Why do I miss everything?" Steph questioned, sitting down beside Rachel and gently stroking the fair hair that rested on Harry's head.

"He was, he'll be back tomorrow I'm sure if you want a catch up." Rachel informed, trying to keep her cheeks from turning a deep red but failing miserably.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to take him away from spending any time with you." Steph commented cheekily, before taking a long sip of her own drink and thinking of different ways to grill her boss. "So he doesn't mind? With Melissa and this little one then?" She approached gently, wanting to make sure Rachel hadn't put herself in another situation that would end up with heartbreak.

"He was gutted to start with but we have so much to sort first anyway, I've got social services over later to check my place if safe for a baby. He wants to be with me though, even if being with me means looking after two children."

"And Melissa?"

Steph was startled at the icy expression that settled over her boss's face. "Lost the right to comment when she left again." Unseen by her, Kim and Steph exchanged a started look at the low, furious tone she had as she looked down at the baby she held. There was a pause as they silently argued over who was going to say something next, but Rachel to the option from them. "What have I missed while I've been distracted by this one?" she questioned, nodding her head towards the baby. And because it was Steph that she'd asked, she was treated to an in depth discussion on the staffroom gossip from the past week or so.

Twenty minutes later, Harry was contentedly being cuddled by the French teacher, the harness discarded to the side while Rachel sat curled next to Kim, enjoying the unusual event of simply chatting with two friends without the necessity out being their boss intruding. So involved, none of them realised the time that was passing until all of sudden, a noise sounded from behind them, prompting Rachel to look behind her in curiosity. Tom was stood there, staring at Steph with a confused expression. "Why do you have a baby?"

Wide eyed, she glanced at Rachel uncertainly. The headteacher sighed under her breath, rubbing her head. "Because my sister's a cow," she answered for Steph, not looking up to see his reaction to that.

Behind him, Jo had entered and performed an almost identical double take at the sight of Steph holding a newborn. She looked at them quizzically, curiosity plastered over her face. Rachel decided to make her exit before the entirety of the teaching staff made their appearance and required explanations- she stood, taking Harry from Steph and tucking him into her arm as she glanced at the clock. "I'm going to be late it I don't a move on," she muttered, half to herself. "I don't suppose either of you has seen Phillip?" she looked enquiringly at the two new additions to the room. They both shook their heads, just as Chris walked in, eyebrows shooting upwards when he saw his boss with a baby.

"Why do you have a baby?"

She groaned. "I've got to go. Kim can explain."

The woman spluttered, but Rachel had already flashed her a smile and made a rapid exit, smiling politely at the two history teachers she almost ran down in the corridor and ignoring their inquiring glances towards Harry.

She headed back to her office, gathering the frankly absurd amount of items that had accumulated with the intention of tracking down Phillip afterwards. Thankfully, however, the boy appeared just as she'd buckled Harry into the car seat and although she was very aware of the looks and comments they garnered from the few kids still lingering around, it was otherwise a fairly painless journey to the car.

At home, she set Phillip to tidying up in preparation for the social worker while she lay Harry down in the moses basket so she could clean her room, much of the baby stuff being stacked against the wall for the time being. She heard the sound of the hoover going, and then water running in the kitchen and sent up a silent thanks for her eldest nephew, unsure how she would have coped without him.

Luckily, the workers that arrived were severely understanding of her situation and completely compassionate about how much Rachel had taken on in such a short space of time. They agreed she had the essentials and provided a detailed list of what else she may need and where she could access some of the more costly items with their help. They asked Phillip privately if he was happy with the situation, and Phillip decided to tell them how long he had been left alone before his mum dropped off the baby. He felt safe with Rachel and wanted to make sure that he wouldn't need to move away from her again, not now he felt settled and safe. Rachel was comforted with their words and the support she had received from different parties throughout the day, so much so that it worried her. She wasn't used to things going right for her, especially after having her happy ever after taken quite literally in front of her eyes.

"Do you want me to start something to eat Rach? I think I can cope with toast, just about." Rachel laughed and stood up when she had finished feeding Harry.

"Actually love, Eddie wanted to take us out tonight for dinner. And when have I ever passed up on free food?" She tried to make light of the situation, pass it off as a joke as if not to scare Phillip at all. But her nephew saw right through her, he could read her like a book and she'd never been too good at lying.

"Oh yes, we're going for the free food." Phil rolled his eyes and reached for a cloth to throw over his shoulder so he could take his brother from Rachel and help to burp him while she got ready. As she watched him, Rachel realised that she would soon need to be getting Harry into a routine so he could hopefully start sleeping through the nights as he got older. But for now, she was still learning and settled for providing her baby nephew with all of the love and support she could.

"I don't know what you mean." Rachel rolled her eyes and turned to quickly tidy up the mess she had made when feeding Harry, making a mental note of what needed to be done and packed before she could even think of leaving the house. With a newborn, she was having to imagine every possible scenario and what she could possibly need for herself and Harry in order to tackle any situation that may arise.

"I'm okay with it you know." Phil added from the door, bouncing on his heels and patting his brother softly on the back. Rachel marvelled at how quickly Phillip had adapted to the situation and become the amazing big brother she always knew he would be. In only a matter of days, the shy boy who could barely hold a baby was long gone. She turned to face him and raised the brow at him, wanting him to continue before she interrupted. "You and Eddie. I've always been okay with it, but especially now. I'm just sorry my mum ever got involved." Phil grumbled, still cursing his mother and most of the actions she had ever made in the time he had been alive. Rachel visibly softened and moved closer to him, softly stroking Harry's head before cupping Phillip's cheek and gaining his full attention.

"Phil, without your mum, me and Eddie would have probably never been together at all." Phil immediately looked confused and Rachel lead them all over to the sofas. "Obviously I was jealous, and that made me admit my feelings when I finally had the chance. If she had never met Eddie, I would have never found the courage to take the leap and admit my feelings. Plus, I would have never gotten this close with you. Having you here, and now your brother, never mind everything with Eddie. That's what makes this situation, and every situation leading up to this, worth it." Rachel felt like she was admitting her darkest secret, but she wasn't finished yet. "I haven't got my own children, and I know I'm not your mother. But I'm going to do my best by you two, as long as possible. I will fight for you both to have the best of everything, just as I would if you were my own." She looked to Phil to see his reaction, suddenly scared she had put too much on the teenager and wishing she had shut up a long time ago.

For his part, Phil looked a little stunned, wide-eyed and bright pink. But he didn't seem horrified or upset, which she decided to take as encouraging.

Her phone ringing drew both their attention, and Rachel decided to give her nephew and break and turned to answer it, smiling when she saw Eddie's name on the screen. "Hi. Long time no speak," she joked. He chuckled.

"Hi yourself. Is the visit over?"

"Yeah. I think they're just relieved they don't have to find a foster placement for them both, to be honest." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He snorted.

"Sounds about right. You still up for dinner?"

She agreed immediately, grateful when he volunteered to drive and it seemed like no time at all before she found herself bundling Harry up into his car seat and ushering Phillip out of the door. The restaurant wasn't too busy, thankfully, and Harry seemed happy enough to sleep in her arms while the three chatted quietly, Eddie and Phil veering off into a conversation about football.

"You're going to spoil him, you know."

Rachel blinked in confusion, turning her head to face the woman who had spoken. "I'm sorry?"

"The baby." She nodded towards Harry. "You hold them all the time, they'll come to expect it. You'll still have him sleeping in your bed when he's a teenager."

Rachel's mouth dropped open slightly, taken aback by the unwarranted advice. "He's fine, thank you," she managed, turning away. But the woman continued.

"Children these days, they're so spoiled. All this fancy-pancy advice. Babies need full bellies, clean nappies and warmth, nothing else. None of this coddling and 'attentive parenting'." She spat the words out with a wrinkled nose. Across the table, Eddie was gaping at the woman, quickly growing from exasperated to angry. "It's no wonder this country is in the state it is- you young women now create a rod for your own backs. Letting a baby cry never did no one any harm."

Rachel's head was spinning slightly at onslaught, but she narrowed her eyes as she saw Phillip growing increasingly uncomfortable.

"A baby cries because something is wrong," she interrupted, giving her a steely glare. "So ignoring that is actually the very definition of harm."

"Well-!"

"Not to mention that this country would be in a much better state if all parents were attentive towards their children," Rachel continued, "and if they raised them to be non-judgemental. Now if you don't mind, we were in the middle of a conversation."

She deliberately turned away, ignoring the woman's spluttering and indignant huff as she shot an inquiring look towards her nephew. "What were you saying, Phillip?"

The boy watched the woman stalk away, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Rach? You're awesome."

Eddie chuckled, leaning back in his seat and looking admiringly across the table at her. "I agree."

She rolled her eyes slightly, waving them off but couldn't disguise her blush as the conversation picked up again, and soon the woman and her comments were barely a memory.

As mains were finished, Phillip received a text on his phone and looked over at the couple sheepishly. He made eye contract with his Aunt and smiled sweetly at her.

"Oh no, what does that face mean?" She questioned immediately, raising a brow at him as she took another sip of water.

"Bolton is having a gathering, a party of such. I was just wondering if.. maybe.. could I go?" Phillip stumbled over his words, not used to needing permission to go places. The only time he ever had restrictions had been when he lived with Rachel and now he needed to get into that routine once more. With his mum, she rarely noticed when he was in the house or not so he could slip in and out easily without any questions asked.

Rachel considered Phillip's question and knew she couldn't deny him of any of the usual antics that teenagers got up to, but it didn't mean she could stop worrying about him. She locked eyes with Eddie who smiled at her softly, knowing exactly what type of turmoil she was going through in her head. She had confided in him many times while they had been together about feeling out of her depth in blurring the lines between family member and teacher, but his smile gave her the reassurance she needed. "We'll settle the bill and drop you wherever you need on the way. You remember the rules though? I won't sleep much until you're home safe." She added, knowing it was completely true. She trusted him, it was his peers that she had trouble with. But nonetheless, Phillip seemed over moon with the answer and happily typed away on his phone after getting the confirmation.

They did just that, and Rachel found herself not able to concentrate on being worried about Phillip as she lay in Eddie's arms on the sofa and looked randomly at the baby monitor to make sure Harry was still sleeping soundly. She expected he would wake soon for a change but for now, she was content to trace random patterns on Eddie's skin and feel his kisses on her shoulder in return.

"Do you think he's okay?" Rachel asked for the third time since they'd dropped Phillip off over an hour ago, trying her best to concentrate on being with Eddie but her overwhelming urge to protect her family overriding every other sense she had. Eddie simply rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on her, knowing that trying to get her to calm down was a pointless task and a waste of his time.

"He's going to be absolutely fine, he knows where we are if he needs us." All Eddie could do was attempt to calm her nerves and distract her, which he planned on doing. He swooped his head down and planted his lips to hers, swallowing her gasp of surprise with his mouth and lovingly swiping his thumb across her cheek. Rachel reacted immediately, throwing her arms around his neck and moulding their bodies together, making the most of their alone time and appreciating his efforts to distract her.

After a few minutes an a few items of lost clothing, Rachel pulled herself up and brought Eddie with her. She moved him backwards towards her stairs, refusing to break their lips apart from the few seconds they required in order to breath. She moaned against him as he kissed down her neck, bumping into the wall on the stairs as they started their walk to her bedroom. Suddenly, the sound of her phone pulled her away from him.

"Shit, Phillip!" She ran to get it immediately, catching her breath before answering her phone without a second thought. However, the piercing sound of the ringtone had woken Harry and Eddie gave himself a second before walking upstairs to retrieve him. He lifted the baby into his arms and held him close, before realising that the changing bag had been left in the hallway.

"Don't worry little man, I'll sort you out." Eddie promised him, making him comfortable against his chest before starting the climb back down the stairs. However, he slowed as he reached the bottom and saw the sight of Rachel. She was white as a sheet and trembling, holding herself up against the wall. His immediate thought was Phillip and Eddie raced down until he was stood in front of her.

"What's happened? Is Phillip okay?" Eddie asked, scared of the reply he was about to get.

Instead of an answer, Rachel locked their eyes and shook her head slowly, doing nothing to calm Eddie's nerves. "Phillip, it's me. I know, I'm sorry. Look, I'm going to come and get you." Eddie listened to the conversation and furrowed his brows, but was filled with instant relief that Phillip was unharmed. He couldn't catch Phil's reply but Rachel shook her head once more and interrupted him. "It's your mum Phil, they've found her."

Eddie couldn't hear Phillip's reply, could barely hear Rachel's over the sudden thundering in his ears. He watched as she spoke quickly to Phillip and hung up the phone, pale-faced and ashen. "Are you okay?" he questioned, swallowing thickly.

She shook her head. "I… I never really…"

"What?"

"I didn't realise that a part of me was hoping they wouldn't find her," she confessed, sounding a little stunned. "I'm going to have to watch my sister go to jail. Phillip's going to have to watch his mum." She backed up a few steps, sitting on the stairs with a bump.

Eddie was a little confused- they'd known this for a few days now. How had Rachel not processed it?

Even as he had the thought, Rachel was running her hands through her hair. "I need to pick up Phillip," she mumbled. "Mel's at the hospital."

"Hospital?"

"She's got some sort of infection from the birth. It's how the police found her- she walked into an A and E down south somewhere. They arrested her but she collapsed in custody."

"How serious is it?"

"I don't know…" she chewed her lip, staring absently for a moment before she glanced up at him apprehensively. "Eddie… I know this is a lot to ask but can you look after Harry for me?"

"You don't want me to come?"

She laughed humourlessly. "Oh, I do," she assured him. "But I don't want that baby anywhere near my sister. God knows what she'd do. If you don't want to, I can call Steph…?"

"Don't be silly. Of course I will. I just…" he hesitated, wondering if she'd take his next comment the wrong way. "I don't like the thought of you dealing with this alone."

"I'm a big girl, Eddie," she smiled bitterly. "And I've been dealing with my own problems alone for a very long time. I'll be fine."

She pushed herself upright, pressing her lips to his for a long moment before ducking her head to brush a kiss over Harry's forehead. And then before he could blink, her keys were in her hand and she was out the door. Eddie grimaced slightly, looking down at Harry with a worried expression that softened as he studied the boy. "You are very, very lucky to have her," he told him, before remembering the nappy and vanishing back upstairs.

Luckily, Phillip was waiting on the curb and had been since he had received the call. He had told Bolton and Paul the truth about what Rachel had said, and they both offered words of support and offered to wait with him until their headteacher arrived. She pulled up and smiled her gratitude at the boys as Phillip entered the car, the air thick with both their nerves and apprehension.

"Where is she Rach?" He finally asked, and Rachel immediately placed her hand over him to calm both him and herself.

"She's in hospital, something about an infection after the birth but I'm sure she'll be fine. And when she's better, they're taking her to the station." She gave him as much information as she knew, wanting to make sure he knew what he needed and was able to make his own decisions. "Eddie is at home with your brother, this is down to you Phil. Do you want to go and see your mum?" She wasn't sure what she wanted Phillip's reply to be, scared of every possible scenario that was now in front of her.

Phillip considered her words for a moment, grateful that she was giving him the time to choose what path he wanted to take. "I want to go home. I don't need to see her, I don't want to. I'll wait for you there." She wasn't in his life anymore. His mum had abandoned him and left him to fend for himself, he had nothing to say to her and any contact would just cause him unnecessary hurt. He had his family, and he wanted to see his brother.

Rachel let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She knew it was selfish, but she was so grateful for Phillip's reply. She wanted to protect him for everything, to give him the life and the family he deserved. Him choosing not to see his mother was one step closer to being able to do that. "I can do that." She promised, starting the car and driving Phillip back home. "I'll do what I need to and then I'll be home, but try and get some sleep okay?" They had chatted aimlessly about the party during the drive, Rachel distracting herself from whatever situation she was about to walk into. She wasn't prepared to see Melissa again, but she was glad it was her that had to and not Phillip or Eddie. They pulled up and Phillip went to leave, but stopped to plant a kiss on his aunt's cheek.

"I love you Rach." He commented before he slipped away, wanting to provide as much support to her as possible. He knew it wasn't easy on her, but she was handling it like a pro.

Rachel let his words sink in and smiled warmly at him. "I love you too. Now get inside, and make sure Eddie gets some rest too." She rolled her eyes at that, knowing Phillip would have an impossible task of getting Eddie to rest and not stare at the door while waiting for her return.

"There's been a development." An officer met Rachel on her arrival at reception, having being expecting to see a relative and hearing her ask for her sister.

"Development?" Rachel asked quietly, her head spinning with what Melissa could have possibly gotten herself into this time.

"We need a formal identification to take place." Rachel's face dropped and the officer noticed, immediately regretting his choice of words and kicking himself. He was fairly new, and much preferred to be out on the field in the middle of drama than dealing with family situations. "Not of that kind, I do apologize Ms Mason. But your sister had a different name and identification on her when she was admitted, so we need you to confirm she is in fact Ms Melissa Ryan." Rachel merely nodded and followed him, grateful that Phillip had chosen to stay at home with Eddie and Harry. What had Melissa been planning if she had the ID of someone else?

Several winding corridors later, they entered a ward where Rachel easily spotted the uniformed officer stood on guard outside a room near to the nurses station. There was a window, the blinds open and Rachel could see Melissa inside, a mask over her face as she lay with her eyes closed. She stopped dead, stomach churning. "Oh my God, she's really ill, isn't she?"

The officer beside her touched her arm. "That is your sister?"

She nodded, swallowed thickly. "That's Melissa," she confirmed quietly. "Can I… can I go in?"

He nodded. "If she wakes, inform PC Adams."

She agreed, stepping into the room with her arms wrapped around herself. A soft, rhythmic beep sounded with every one of her sister's heartbeats, a faint hiss suggested oxygen was being blown through her mask. Melissa was deathly pale, and as Rachel reached out to place her hand over hers, she found her hand was clammy and burning hot.

"Mel… what have you done?" she whispered.

Within minutes, the nurse and doctor had come in, and Rachel felt her head beginning to spin as they explained how Melissa's body was being ravaged by an infection, sending her temperature dangerously high and making even breathing difficult. They spoke of antibiotics, the possibility of intubating her if she deteriorated further and unspoken, Rachel realised, was the possibility that she may not survive this.

Left alone what seemed like an age later, she stood from where she'd been sat and drew closer to her sister, studying her, trying to see the remnants of the girl she'd once known. "Phil's okay," she spoke abruptly. "He struggled, for a while. He doesn't understand. He blames himself for what you did. But we're working on it, all of us."

She bit her lip, staring down at Melissa. "The baby's okay too. Better than, actually. He has everyone wrapped around his finger. He's beautiful, Mel. I don't know how you could ever have left either of them."

She sighed, drawing the chair over so that she could sit while holding Melissa's hand. "The funny thing is, Mel, I've been jealous of you for as long as I can remember. You were always prettier, more outgoing, more popular. Dad's favourite. When we… reconnected, and I found out you had a little boy… God, a part of me wanted to hate you. And when you came to Waterloo Road, and everything with Eddie- I've never been more jealous of you. At least until you turned up pregnant. Everything I'd ever wanted, and you got it again.

"So I don't understand, not in the slightest," she admitted. "Those boys, Mel, they're so wonderful. How can you not see? Phillip adored you, that baby… he would have too. Why would you throw that away?"

Rachel fell silent for a long minute, sorting out her own feelings, trying to come to terms with what she knew was going to happen. "The thing is, Mel, I've spent all of my life pleasing other people. Especially you. I'd have done anything for you, once upon a time. But you're not a child anymore. You have to start taking responsibility and that starts now. It has to. You're my little sister; I will always love you, but I can't and won't protect you any longer. What you did… you went too far."

She looked up at Melissa's face, and started when she saw her eyes were open and looking at her. To her surprise, Melissa wasn't angry, or pleading. Instead, she seemed… peaceful?

"You went too far," she found herself repeating softly. Her hand was squeezed gently. "I have to walk away Mel. For my own sanity. My own life. I have to be selfish for once."

The blonde nodded slowly, her other hand reaching up and fumbling with the mask. Beside her, the machines beeped wildly. "You'll look after them?" she rasped.

"You already know I will."

"I'm sorry, Rach."

But Rachel found herself just feeling exhausted, nothing else. "I really wish I could believe you," she told her softly. She pulled her hand away as she stood up, carefully replacing the mask over her face before she leant over to kiss her gently. "Goodbye Melissa."

She picked up her bag and left the room without looking over her shoulder, knowing she wouldn't be back.


End file.
